1929. The Wall Street Crash. The richest men of the US lose their fortunes in a day. The working class loses absolutely everything. The country is in ruins. “America was the greatest idea in human history, the most resourceful people the world had ever known, and yet here we were reduced to breadlines and soup kitchens”. Sounds like fiction, but anyone with the slightest knowledge of American history will understand how serious the economic crisis of the 20s was. When people have no money and no hope, the entertainment industry thrives. It’s the need for escapism. That’s why two high school teenagers invented a character that was “faster than a bullet and stronger than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound”. It’s no coincidence that the greatest financial depression is accompanied by the creation of Superman and hundreds of superheroes (as well as extravagant movies that had little or nothing to do with the “real” world).

In Mark Millar’s opening chapter, however, something different happens. A bankrupted man seeks out a mysterious island he has inspected in his dreams. He’s accompanied by his brother, his wife and his closest friends. After arriving to the island they return to firm land “wrapped in costumes that raised the spirits of anyone who saw them”, their superhuman powers and abilities seem to rival only their high morals: “We didn’t care about money or politics. Our only desire was to serve our country and our infinite idealism inspired the best in everyone who came near us”... except, of course, their own children. Worshipped as demigods and super-celebrities, these heroes are the most famous people in the world, and of course their sons and daughters cash in their popularity, and bask in the unmerited glory of being the heirs of the saviors of the world. The man who found the island is the world-renowned Utopian, a superhero similar to the father of the genre, the Man of Steel himself. Morality, decency and admiration for the American Way define him. He’s the team leader, responsible for defending the world against countless menaces. After 80 years, all the cool villains have been defeated, all the cosmic threats neutralized, and only the occasional supervillain escapee ruins the languid calm that has been established long ago.

When one of those villains tries to escape, he’s attacked by the Utopian and his team. Utopian’s brother, perhaps out of mercy or simply out of boredom, enters into the enemy’s mind and takes him to a ‘psychic painting’ of his own creation. There both of them can experience the peacefulness of a blue lake, in a sunny afternoon. He does it, so that the villain won’t feel any pain as the superhumans break his spine and splinter his bones. The Utopian’s children, as usual, haven’t responded the emergency call. They’re somewhat occupied getting drunk or taking drugs, and they don’t give a damn about their parent’s old-fashioned sense of justice. Utopian’s brother is sick of the world they live in, he is against the ambition of the bankers that caused the crash in 1929 and the warmongers that profited thanks to the US tendency of declaring war to other nations. The economy is again in peril, Wall Street is out of control again and as a result people are losing their homes and realizing that food has become a luxurious commodity, while the kids of the superheroic generation continue to make millions thanks to publicity endorsements and the clever ways in which they exploit their fame. Mark Millar’s script is fascinating, and he has found the perfect artist for this project. Frank Quitely, perhaps the greatest artist of his generation. Quitely vigorously recreates the atmosphere of 1929 in the first pages, showing us the impoverished streets of New York, the tattered people that make lines to get some food, the dark alleys with homeless guys and the decadent scenario behind them. There is visual drama here, but also historical accuracy. The fighting sequence is as amazing as his work in “Flex Mentallo”, the psychic painting is an idyllic image, aggressively contrasted by the Utopian’s daughter and her habit of snorting cocaine. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________1929. La caída de Wall Street. Los hombres más ricos de Estados Unidos pierden sus fortunas en un día. La clase trabajadora pierde absolutamente todo. El país está en ruinas. "Estados Unidos fue la idea más grandiosa en la historia humana, las personas más recursivas que el mundo jamás había conocido y, sin embargo, aquí estábamos reducidos a hacer colas para el pan o para la sopa de caridad". Suena como ficción, pero cualquiera con el más mínimo conocimiento de historia estadounidense entenderá qué tan seria fue la crisis económica de los 20.

The Utopian’s brother inside one his psychic paintings / el hermano de Utopian dentro de una de sus pinturas psíquicas

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About the Author - Arion

Arion, who is either from Chile or New York (it’s not really clear) writes a blog that the Outhouse steals on a regular basis. Arion is by far the nicest of all the staff writers and the most well behaved only having been banned from one country. One thing we really appreciate about Aroin is that he writes his reviews in English and Spanish and we hope someday he’ll translate this blurb for us. We’re not so good at languages, just look at how well we write in English if you need proof. You should bookmark Arion’s blog - http://artbyarion.blogspot.com – and actually look at it. There will be a quiz at the end of every month.